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Young Adult Books You Want to Read

As you may or may not know, our company, The Book Report Network, has a number of websites about books and authors in addition to Bookreporter.com. Throughout the year, Bookreporter.com features adult books on Teenreads.com, our site for young adult readers, that we think will have definite appeal to a teen audience. In the spirit of sharing, we are now spotlighting a selection of titles each month from Teenreads.com that we believe are great reads that you might enjoy.

At the age of five, Jazz Jennings transitioned to life as a girl with the support of her parents. A year later, her parents allowed her to share her incredible journey in her first Barbara Walters interview. In this memoir, Jazz reflects on these very public experiences and how they have helped shape the mainstream attitude toward the transgender community. But it hasn’t all been easy. Jazz has faced many challenges, yet she perseveres as she educates others about her life as a transgender teen. Making the journey from girl to woman is never easy --- especially when you began your life in a boy’s body.

Nanette O'Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hardworking student and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper --- a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic --- the rebel within Nanette awakens. As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young but troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that rebellion sometimes comes at a high price.

Kate O’Brien's whole life has been a series of setbacks she’s had to snake her way out of, but she's determined to change that. As the scholarship student at the Waverly School in NYC, Kate has her work cut out for her: her plan is to climb the social ladder and land a spot at Yale. She’s already befriended the cosseted, mega-wealthy yet deeply damaged Olivia Sumner. When the handsome and whip-smart Mark Redkin joins the Waverly administration, he becomes especially close to Olivia, a fact she’s intent on keeping to herself. It becomes increasingly obvious that Redkin poses a threat to Kate, too, in a way she can’t reveal --- and can’t afford to ignore.

Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron's senior trip to Italy was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime. And then the accident happened. Waking up in a hospital room, her leg in a cast, stitches in her face, and a big blank canvas where the last six weeks should be, Jill comes to discover she was involved in a fatal accident in her travels abroad. She was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care --- care that includes a lawyer and a press team. Because maybe the accident wasn't really an accident. Wondering not just what happened but what she did, Jill tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life.

If Doreen Gray were to take a selfie upon her arrival at the elite Chandler Academy, it would capture a face marked with acne, a head full of frizz, and eyes looking anywhere but at the lens. What Chandler queen bee Heidi Whelan sees is a desperate hunger for acceptance and the makings of a willing and useful protégé. Heidi’s roommate, Biz Gibbons-Brown, works her Photoshop magic to create a stunning profile pic of Doreen --- a glossy, digital makeover that Doreen initially rejects...only to wake up the next morning transformed as the girl in the picture. But Doreen quickly becomes accustomed to her newfound power and lives without considering the consequences of her actions.

Joey Getchie has been property of the state longer than he was in parental custody. But he's a survivor, and he has a Plan: graduate high school and get out of the foster care system before it eats him alive. He bonds with Trisha, another foster, who seems to have lucked out when it comes to foster parents. A false accusation leads to a physical clash with his foster father, so Joey flees to Huntzel Manor, where he works part time. He takes up unauthorized residence and keeps a low profile, hoping to avoid attention. But attention arrives in the worst possible way: a classmate is seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident, and Joey becomes the focus of the investigation.

It all starts with a text: Please, Wylie, I need your help. Wylie hasn’t heard from Cassie in over a week, not since their last fight. But that doesn’t matter. Cassie is in trouble, so Wylie decides to do what she has done so many times before: save her best friend from herself. This time it’s different, though. Instead of telling Wylie where she is, Cassie sends cryptic clues. And instead of having Wylie come by herself, Jasper shows up saying Cassie sent him to help. Trusting the guy who sent Cassie off the rails doesn’t feel right, but Wylie has no choice but to ignore her gut instinct and go with him. But figuring out where Cassie is goes from difficult to dangerous, fast.

When Olivia's mother was killed, everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward 14 years. New evidence now proves Olivia's father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there's a killer still at large. It's up to Olivia to uncover who that may be. But can she do that before the killer tracks her down first?

Kelsey's mother hasn’t set foot outside their front door in 17 years, since she escaped from her kidnappers with nothing but her attacker’s baby growing inside her. Kelsey knows she’s supposed to keep a low profile and stay off the grid for their protection, but that plan is shattered when her dramatic car accident and rescue by volunteer firefighter and classmate Ryan Baker sparks media coverage. A few days later, she arrives home to find her mother missing. Now, to have a chance at a future, Kelsey will have to face her darkest fears. Because someone is coming for her. And the truth about the past may end up being the most dangerous thing of all.

Maya Penn is a remarkable teen entrepreneur who has given three TED Talks, created her own eco-friendly fashion line, developed animated films, and appeared on "The View" with Whoopi Goldberg. She has even been name-checked by bestselling authors Gabrielle Bernstein, Steve Harvey and Eve Ensler. All while still in middle school! In YOU GOT THIS!, Maya shares her incredible journey to becoming an artist, designer, philanthropist and business owner. She provides a creative blueprint for teens and young adults, along with the tools she used to build an authentic, exciting and connected life, and offers creative prompts for cultivating success.

We Are...

A site for 20Something readers. To us, 20Something is “A decade. A state of mind. An age. A lifestyle. A time for self-discovery. A new perspective. An attitude. A philosophy. Independence. Freedom. A time to rediscover reading for pleasure --- and finally, read what you want.”

Books On Screen

September's Books on Screen roundup includes the feature films Unbroken: Path to Redemption, Bel Canto and Little Women; the series premieres of "The Miniaturist" on Amazon Prime Video and "You" on Lifetime, along with the season two finale of USA's "The Sinner"; and the DVD releases of Adrift and The Seagull.